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Thursday, 15 January 2009

The Maids of Cadiz

Looking for a title is not always the easiest thing. The Maze of Cadiz owes something to Leo Delibes, most famous for the ballet Coppélia , who composed a song for ‘high voice’ called Les filles de Cadix. Versions of it are available on Youtube by Joan Sutherland, Deanna Durbin and quite a few others. Jeanette MacDonald sang it in a movie of 1942 called Cairo described as something on a spoof on spy stories.

For me, however, the real link is with an arrangement by the great Gil Evans for Miles Davis’ Miles Ahead, an album of 1957, called The Maids of Cadiz. It is purely instrumental, no voice, high or otherwise, and Miles Davis plays a flugelhorn. You can watch him in action on Youtube in a later version at a concert in Montreux, conducted by Quincy Jones. Fabulous.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Deanna Durbin's rendition. She sang it in her 1938 film called THAT CERTAIN AGE and she was only 16!!! I have the whole film for free viewing on my website for those who are interested:

www.deannadurbindevotees.com

Alex (Administrator).

Aly Monroe said...

Thanks, Alex. I've just seen it. I agree - it's fantastic - and a great site!Thank you for sharing it with us.